Five meters (16 ft) long.
Powerful bite.
And lots of venom.
When you see this king,
you don't bow.
You run.
These majestic reptiles
are the longest venomous snake on Earth.
They can be found in India,
South China and Southeast Asia.
Their ideal habitat
ranges from bamboo thickets,
high-altitude grasslands,
forests, mangrove swamps and rivers.
They are known for being able to lift
up to a third of their body off the ground
and lunge forward in an attack.
The king cobra's venom
is less potent than other snakes,
but they inject it in high quantities.
Just one bite can deliver
enough neurotoxin to kill 20 people,
or even an elephant.
Today we'll give you some tips
on surviving its
royal attack.
King cobras will be the first to know
when you're in their territory.
Their eyesight is better than most snakes,
and they can spot a moving person
nearly 100 m (330 ft) away.
When you see them,
they may already be on the defensive,
so move away with caution.
Thankfully,
these reptiles are shy
and don’t want anything to do with you.
Unless you get near their eggs.
The king cobra is the only snake
that builds nests,
and they will defend them aggressively.
Careful,
you're officially in the king's realm now.
It will let you know
by rearing up its front off the ground,
spreading its hood
and showing you its fangs.
Then it will make a hiss
which can sometimes sound
like a growling dog.
This is the sign for you to get out of there.
If you're cornered
and an attack is imminent,
you can try to stand up to it.
This is what Mike Holston,
the self-described Real Tarzan,
did in one of his online videos.
The footage shows Mike
holding the snake by its tail
as it starts to rear up.
After being dropped,
the cobra turns back to attack.
This is when Holston decides
to raise up his arm and hiss,
spooking the snake enough
that it takes off.
If that doesn't work,
use whatever you have near you
to defend yourself.
Throw sticks or rocks to scare it away.
It is quite possible
the snake will try to retreat.
If you are bitten by a king cobra,
you could die of respiratory failure
in less than 30 minutes.
Go to the hospital immediately.
You'll need to get a specific
king cobra antivenom.
While applying a tourniquet
can reduce the spread of the venom,
it also traps it in one area.
This can result in severe necrosis,
which might then lead to an arm or leg
having to be amputated.
An alternative to tourniquets
is light bandaging of the site
and immobilizing the bitten limb
while you rush to the hospital.
Now you know how to avoid
this massive reptile in Asia.
But there's a place in South America
where you can barely take
a couple of steps without
encountering a snake.
And unlike the king cobra,
these ones aren't shy
and are always on the hunt.
Could you stay alive for a week
on Snake Island?
Find out here.